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INTRODUCTION
Pakistan is one of the most densely inhabited countries in the world as its population has reached almost 200 million. With more than a thousand cities and towns, Pakistan has 5 main cities, namely, Islamabad, Karachi, Lahore, Peshawar, and Rawalpindi. Every city is distinctively unique and well-known for various reasons. However, Karachi, which is the metropolitan hub of Pakistan, is almost always compared with the other major cities. The most common debate that often springs up during conversations is the comparison between Karachi and Lahore. This blog intends to do the same – compare the eventful Karachi with the country’s serene capital, Islamabad. Let’s look closely at both the cities under the light of several livability index factors. This will allow us to evaluate lifestyle in karachi vs islamabad, with emphasis on each factor individually.
Karachi vs Islamabad
Let’s use the Livability Indicators to carefully understand how livable each city is, in its regard. These factors include infrastructure, stability, culture and environment, education and literacy, and healthcare facilities.
INFRASTRUCTURE
Karachi vis-à-vis Islamabad
Islamabad is supposed to have the finest infrastructure in Pakistan. Various projects in the past 20 years have allowed the city to grow sustainably to accommodate the rapidly increasing population. The most important developments include the construction of a new airport and road, the expansion of the Metro Bus, and the improvement of interconnected highways and flyovers.
Other than these, new roads and flyovers are under construction annually, while numerous signal-free corridors have also sprung up to regulate and maintain the free and fast flow of traffic. One can easily travel from one end of the city to another, without worrying about the best route to take.
On the contrary, in Karachi, one cannot see any maintenance of the existing roads and flyovers, which were built many years ago, except for the posh areas of Clifton and Defence.
After reading the blog, let us know which city is better, by commenting on the post. Alternatively, you can reach out to us at EMAIL ADDRESS. Do keep checking Pakistan’s largest property blog, Faizan Barai.com, for the latest ‘ins’ of the property sector.
STABILITY
Karachi vis-à-vis Islamabad
Since the dawn of time, Pakistan has been haltered by the cross-border conflicts along with the economic devastation that accompanied it, owing to the aftermath of struggling with an endless War on Terror. As a result, the business giants of Pakistan; Karachi, and Islamabad had to face the burden of continually declining security. Nevertheless, in the last 10 years, the country is said to have made noteworthy improvements.
According to the World Crime Index, Islamabad is ranked at 301st out of a total of 374 cities. These stats have put Islamabad as a relatively safer city than Paris, Amsterdam, Berlin, and Sydney. Conversely, Karachi took the position of 103rd as of October 2020.
According to the World Crime Index report of mid-year 2019, Islamabad has improved from 244th position, whereas Karachi enhanced its general ranking from 71st around a similar period. This improvement can be dedicated to several socio-economic indicators which have contributed to livability.
As per the recent report, Annual Report on Investment Security of China’s Belt and Road Construction (2021), Pakistan was able to secure the top 10 positions for most improvements which were reported in the circuit of Ease of Doing Business. Moreover, the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) also highlighted the fact that Pakistan’s economic security showed a marked increase of 220% in the last 10 years. This is a remarkably noteworthy feat in itself.
Pakistan’s holistic corporate and industry environment has shown immense improvement, primarily due to the country’s growth and development as it moves ahead with the next phase of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC). Even though there are no precise business statistics for Islamabad and Karachi, it is largely observed that Karachi is far better than Lahore as the former is Pakistan’s business hub.
On the other hand, many of the novel startups coming into Pakistan are mostly set up in Islamabad, as the capital city also gets familiarized with numerous posh real estate ventures including Roman Grove, V9 Mall and Residency, and Mall of Enclave. Such developments offer extremely profitable investment options for both commercials as well as residential properties.
CULTURE & ENVIRONMENT
Karachi vis-à-vis Islamabad
Karachi is famous for a variety of communities which brings forth the much-celebrated diversity. The cultural capital of the country inhabits different ethnicities and religions while celebrating their festivals in peace and harmony. Additionally, the Pakistan National Council of Arts in Karachi has considerably contributed towards theatrical productions. The best cinemas showcase regular presentations of international as well as local movies for families.
In addition to this, the momentous and historic Frere Hall is also a primary place for the society members, artists, poets, writers, and people who acknowledge and appreciate art and dialogue to get together in peaceful and safe environs. There are numerous coffee shops peppered with musicians, performers, and stand-up comedians.
Karachi is a coastal city. It offers beaches to its citizens, allowing for an assortment of recreational and leisure facilities. One can even rent beach huts in Karachi for perfect and private family get-aways. Besides this, there are several amusement parks and shopping malls in Karachi that house some of the top international and local brands. Moreover, you will also find locally produced handicrafts and textiles. It is highly imperative to mention that Karachi also has some of the finest fitness facilities in the Clifton area. This makes the city a pioneer in leading fitness boot camps and challenges.
Moreover, Karachi also has a variety of tastes and delicacies. Check out the best food guides here:
- Hi-tea eateries in Karachi
- Seafood bistros in Karachi
- Japanese restaurants in Karachi
- Barbecue baithaks in Karachi
- Assorted ‘highway restaurants’ · Clifton food street · Continental cuisines in DHA
- Best steakhouses
Let’s have a look at Islamabad’s culture and environment. The city was predominantly created for policy institutes, government officers, and foreign diplomats. As the city is not historic, it mainly caters to the purpose it was created for. Therefore, its culture entails supporting commercial activities and governance. Since many foreigners reside here, one can find the finest continental cuisines, particularly in the Beverly Center and Kohsar Market. Monal Restaurant housed in the Margalla Hills is a sight to devour, especially for those who are looking for a quick escape from the hustle and bustle.
Islamabad is especially famous for its serene landscapes, immersed in mountains with pristine adjoining northern areas. For a natural beauty lover, this is the place to be as one can explore trekking trails in Islamabad – definitely a good way to have fun. There are numerous cinemas for movie buffs and huge shopping malls, offering a variety of local and international products. If one is interested in exploring local products, then Super Market and Jinnah Super Market are the places to be.
Hence, it is a proven fact that Karachi is a more culturally diverse city, offering various entertainment possibilities for children and adults alike.
EDUCATION AND LITERACY
Karachi vis-à-vis Islamabad
With countless educational institutions in both the cities, Islamabad and Karachi, it’s difficult to choose which one fares better. Karachi’s private institutes are especially famous for introducing novel methods of learning and teaching, while institutions in Islamabad follow suit.
Regardless, Karachi’s convents and government institutes have always been considered a class apart from the rest. This includes well-reputed schools such as St. Joseph’s, St. Patrick’s, Mama Parsi, and the likes. Other renowned schools such as the Karachi Grammar School (KGS) and PAF Chapter have been internationally regarded too. This list includes top O’level schools of Karachi, as well as many pre-schools.
As Karachi is the primary business center, its graduates can also access a gigantic group of professionals to holistically provide a working knowledge of several sectors.
Karachi graduates from the fields of business, medicine, and engineering are especially preferred for some of the most top-hierarchy jobs, specifically from institutes such as IBA, NED, and Karachi University, etc. Moreover, Karachi also houses a committed system of national schools which enable students to achieve high-quality education.
Islamabad is well-known for its private institutions and international high schools such as Khaldunia, Beaconhouse Margalla Campus, International School of Islamabad, Schola Nova, etc. Besides this, the government-run Teach For Pakistan’s schools and Punjab Model Schools are working to divulge education to the underprivileged segment of society. These institutions have state-of-the-art facilities, including libraries and laboratories with promising potential for development.
Additionally, for higher education, Islamabad’s Quaid-e-Azam University has been the only institute to be mentioned in the Times Higher Education System Rankings for Asia. Then, institutes like National Defense University (NDU), National University of Languages (NUML),
and National University of Science and Technology (NUST) is closely associated with national research institutes and several other international research institutes. This also gives Islamabad a distinction for its academic affiliations and research.
HEALTHCARE FACILITIES
Karachi vis-à-vis Islamabad
Islamabad and Karachi fare equally well on this factor. In both cities, one can find various national and private medical healthcare facilities. One can also choose from centers for mental health and all-inclusive well-being.
In Rawalpindi, adjacent to Islamabad, the government-run facilities have some of the finest healthcare and medical professionals who cater to the whole population from the northern areas and nearby cities and villages. Therefore, it can be easily said that state-of-the-art medical facilities and professionals can be found in both cities.
